A Mother's Love
by very-not-inanimate
Summary: A Mother's Day story following Alana, Seymour's mother, as she watches over her son throughout his life.
1. Part I: Pre-Musical

_Happy Mothers' Day, everyone! This is a gift for a very dear friend of mine, suddenlysomewherethatsgreen. Since I joined this fandom back in February, she's been supportive, caring, and pretty much like a mother to me. So what better to write than a fic about Alana, a character she has written an entire chapter fic about? (Read it here if you haven't already: s/13016501/1/A-child-of-the-street) This was an idea I just came up with yesterday when brainstorming with a friend, and I thought it would be interesting, both to read and to write! So enjoy, my dears!_

Alana had many regrets throughout her life. She certainly regretted working at the Gutter, that was for sure. She regretted not asking anyone else for help. Most of all, she regretted leaving her newborn son almost immediately giving birth to him. She barely got to meet her little boy before she passed away, and grief tore at her heart daily.

This grief tortured her now, even though her death had been years ago. Seymour was six years old now and had become quite a loner, often sitting alone, picking at the weeds that grew in the sidewalk cracks, as he was doing at that moment.

Alana wished with all her heart she could break the invisible wall between her and her precious son. She wanted to go over to him, to play with him like a mother should, but she was trapped.

Mr. Stanley approached the child, and Alana watched him closely. Though she had only spoken to him on a few occasions, the kind man had allowed Seymour to live in the home since Alana had died. Alana would forever be grateful to Mr. Stanley. She had barely known him, and yet he had shown both her and her child mercy and generosity.

Mr. Stanley crouched down to talk to Seymour. "Hey, kid. Don't you wanna go play tag with everyone else?" He gestured toward a crowd of boys, laughing and shouting at each other as they chased one another around the outdoor area.

Seymour shook his head. "No thank you, sir. I'm doing just fine over here. The other boys don' like me anyway. They won' lemme play."

"Is everything okay, kid?"

"Yes, sir," Seymour replied, but Alana could tell that he was lying.

"Seymour, you're not a very good liar." Mr. Stanley sat down beside the little boy. Alana smiled to herself, despite her still-lingering pain.

Seymour looked at Mr. Stanley with sadness in his watery blue eyes. "I just wish I could talk to my ma," he confessed, and Alana felt her heart shatter.

Mr. Stanley raised his eyebrows. "Why's that? Ya never really knew 'er."

"I know, sir, but if she were here, I wouldn't be stuck here. She woulda taken me home. Nobody'd leave me out, because she'd be only my mama and she'd love me best, 'cause I'd be the only one." The little boy hugged his knees.

Alana was ready to cry. Her poor, sweet little boy was so alone. _Did I make the right decision to go to the Home when I was about to have him? _She pushed the thought away. _No. If I hadn't, he wouldn't have a home at all._

Still, Alana felt horrible for her little boy. He had been right- she would have showered him in affection and taken as good care of him as she was able, no matter what the cost.

_Oh, my sweet Seymour! I'm so sorry!_

The bell above the shop's door rang out, as it always did when it opened. A middle aged man slunk inside Alana smiled as Seymour entered after him, going through that door for the first time since Gravis Mushnik had decided to hire him. It had been five years since he had broken down during free time at the home, and he had gotten bigger. He now wore large glasses, and his hair had grown wild and tangled due to lack of grooming.

"Okay, kid, you're gonna sleep under the counter," Mr. Mushnik announced, much to Alana's disgust. _He's a boy, not a dog!_ she thought indignantly, but nobody would hear her if she spoke aloud.

"Yes, sir," Seymour chirped. He looked pleased with his sleeping place, which would have confused Alana had she not seen his bedroom in the home. He had slept on a pile of blankets on the floor. _At least he's used to being down there, and doesn't know how uncomfortable it is compared to a mattress._

Alana admired the shop. She had been there before, two years earlier, when Seymour had first come into the shop, but it entranced her all the same. The place was full of all kinds of flowers and plants. Alana remembered with a little smile how Seymour used to pick dandelions and talk to them.

Alana looked at Mr. Mushnik. He didn't seem like the type of person who would care for a child as if it was his own, but Alanaa guessed he was better than nothing.

_Seymour is going to like it here. He's home now, and he'll have a better life here._ Alana examined Mr. Mushnik again, who look disapproving as questions shot out of the enthusiastic preeteen boy's mouth. _Or at least, I hope so._

Alana continued to observe Seymour as he grew, By the time he was fifteen, Seymour was too big to fit under the counter anymore, so Mr. Mushnik had reluctantly agreed to let the scruffy teenager move into the basement. He had found an old, discarded bed in an alleyway, and it took him a whole day to move it downstairs. Seymour quickly made himself at home, collecting various types of interesting little plants and displaying them in his little dwelling.

Alana had known since Seymour had first stepped foot inside Mushnik's that Seymour would grow to love plants. He had seemed so interested to learn everything about them when he began his work. _How long has it been now? Eleven years? Time really flies._

One day, a lovely young woman found herself inside the shop. Alana immediately recognized her. _It's Marianne Fulquard's daughter! Audrey! _The girl had been very young when Alana died, but obviously she had grown. It was amazing to Alana, how much of a coincidence that the child of her good friend would wander into the shop where her own son resided.

The girl looked mystified at all the lovely floral displays that filled the shop. She seemed almost enchanted, staring at her surroundings.

"Hello?" came Seymour's voice from across the room. Audrey spun around to face him, and the haste of it all caused Seymour to drop the vase of roses he was holding. With a gasp, Seymour scrambled to clean it up. Audrey hurried over to him.

"Oh my gosh! I am so, so sorry!" Seymour looked ashamed of himself as he continued picking up the glass shards. Audrey knelt down to help him.

"No no no, let me," she insisted.

"No, please don't. It's my fault, I-" Seymour was interrupted by Mushnik's grizzly man was just as grumpy as he had been eleven years ago, when Seymour first started working for him.

"Krelborn!" he yelled, and Alana saw Seymour tense in fear. Mushnik emerged from the back room. "What did you break this time?" Audrey nervously stood up, trembling.

"Sir. He didn't do it. I broke the vase. I'll pay for it." Alana was both shocked and pleased as Audrey stood up for the young man, still struggling to gather the broken pieces.

"Ma'am, that's very kind of you, but-"

It was Seymour's turn to interrupt. "Sir, it's not true! Don't make her pay for it, sir! Just..." He trailed off.

"Just clean it up, Krelborn," Mushnik snarled in response. Seymour rushed to fetch a broom as Mushnik turned to her. "Will that be all?"

Audrey hesitated before she answered. "Uhh… no." The girl turned her gaze toward Seymour. "No, I'm not finished."

The shop was quiet for a few minutes after that, which was rather amusing to Alana. She liked Audrey already; she had insisted on paying for the vase, even though Seymour was the one who had broken it, and she seemed like a truly sweet girl.

Finally, the girl's voice broke the silence. "What's your name?" Seymour looked astonished that Audrey had spoken to him.

"Seymour. Krelborn." Alana smiled, thinking about how Marianne would have recognized the name immediately.

"It's nice to meet you, Seymour."

"And yours?" he returned after another moment of silence.

"...Audrey." She was averting her gaze, which Alana thought to be interesting.

"Could I… help you find anything?" Alana couldn't help but laugh. Even though nobody could hear her, she tended to stay quiet when she watched over her son, so as not to miss anything. She had broken her own silence, which surprised her. Still, her son's awkwardness was rather amusing to Alana.

She didn't answer his question directly, but instead fingered a dying flower.

"These poor things… did nobody want them?"

Seymour's smile left his face, which disappointed Alana. She hadn't seen him smile since he was much younger, and now his expression was merely shy.

"I guess not."

_Is he thinking I didn't want him? Alana worried._ _Of course I wanted you, sweetheart! I just couldn't be with you._

"It's a shame. I think they're fantastic."

The shop went quiet again for another few moments. Then Seymour spoke.

"Are you looking for something specific? Do you have a favorite flower?"

"Do you?"

Seymour stopped for a moment, then answered, "Carnations."

Alana felt her heartbeat quicken. _They're his favorites. They were my favorites too._

"Carnations?"

Audrey stopped again. Alana thought she must be thinking about his response.

"I think… I like them too," she responded after a heartbeat. Her smile mirrored Seymour's, and Alana couldn't help but grin too. She didn't have a face to grin with, but her spirit grinned for her.

Audrey turned and picked up the roses Seymour had knocked over. "I'll take these."

Seymour raised his eyebrows in surprise. Audrey spoke again.

"They've been here a while, haven't they?"

"Our arrangement consultant quit last week," Mushnik explained.

"Oh well sir, I'm looking…" Audrey paused, then continued. "I think I could be of help, sir. I absolutely adore flowers. Plants as well. Anything green, really. I've been working in retail since I was 15... " She paused for a moment, then continued. "And I live right across the street, so I'd never be late. I would really love an interview, sir, if you have the time."

"Please, Gravis," Alana whispered, knowing full well he wouldn't be able to hear her. "She's a good girl. And Seymour could really use a friend."

The old man stood up, and his next words both pleased and surprised Alana. "Don't bother. That's good enough for me." He held out his hand. "Gravis Mushnik."

Audrey reached out to shake it. "Audrey."

"Tell you what, you show up tomorrow at 9:00, the job is yours," Proposed Mushnik. Audrey looked pleased.

"Sure, sir, Bright and early." Audrey began to leave the shop, but stopped when she was just about to open the door.

"Oh wait, my roses." Alana had been wondering how long it would take for Audrey to remember the flowers she had decided to purchase. She ambled over to the counter and gave Mushnik enough money to pay for them as Seymour intently tied a bow around them with red ribbon. Audrey took the roses and left the shop.

Alana laughed to herself as she remembered something Marianne had written in a letter: "If you do end up keeping them, like you swear you are, maybe our children could be friends. "_Maybe"? No, old friend. I think they _are _going to be friends._


	2. Part II: Mid-Musical

The next two years passed rather quickly. Alana grew quite fond of Audrey, and she also noticed that Seymour seemed to take a liking to her as well. Alana was glad that her son had found a friend in the golden-hearted young woman- and perhaps even more than that. Anyone could tell the two had feelings for each other. In fact, Alana was quite sure that the only person oblivious of Seymour's feelings for Audrey was Audrey herself, and Seymour was the only one who didn't know how Audrey felt about him. It was rather amusing to Alana.

One autumn day, Seymour's life changed. He had found a plant- which he called Audrey II, once again causing Alana to wonder how Audrey could be unaware of Seymour's feelings toward her. The specimen was unlike anything anyone had ever seen, and it brought in a large amount of business, as well as attention from the press. Alana was more pleased to find that her son's new attention barely impacted his personality, and he continued to be the sweet boy she had watched grow up.

But what worried Alana the most was the plant itself- more specifically, its food source. Seymour had accidentally discovered that his new specimen fed off of his blood. Day after day, he would slit his fingertips and let the blood from the cuts drip into its maw. Alana was concerned for Seymour because of this. If he kept this up, the plant would certainly drain his whole blood supply- or worse, become less satisfied with the sizes of its meals and crave more blood, or maybe even an entire human body. Would Seymour, the little boy she had given birth to and loved in her death, end up having to sacrifice himself to Audrey II? Alana would have to wait and see.

Orin threw Seymour into the chair in his office. Alana was terribly frightened, both for her son and of him. The night before, he had found out that Audrey II had gained the ability to speak. It convinced him to feed him entire humans. I was right, Alana thought glumly. _It wouldn't have been satisfied with the amount of blood Seymour feeds it. But my son isn't a killer! He won't have it in him. He can't!_ But Alana recalled his father, the very cause of her own death. _Can he?_

However, something deep within Alana hated Orin as much as Seyour did. Of course, she greatly disapproved of his treatment of gentle, kind Audrey, but there was something beyond that, his cruel and nasty nature, that reminded Alana of someone she desperately wanted to forget. And a dark part of her secretly hoped her son would succeed, and maybe even save Audrey from Alana's own fate.

"Say, don't I know you?" Orin snarled, snatching Seymour's hat from his head.

"Yeah, Seymour Krelborn, we met yesterday," the young man responded, fear evident in both his voice and expression as Orin tilted the chair back. Orin seemed to remember him from the night before, when they had met, and leaned over Seymour.

"Boy, your mouth's a mess, kid!" the dentist exclaimed, ignoring Seymour's noises of protest. "I saw that wisdom tooth; we'll just rip that little bugger right outta there, whaddaya say?"

"No!" Seymour cried out.

Orin pinned the scruffy florist to the chair. "There's always time for dental hygiene, Seymour." He straightened himself up, moving his face away from Seymour's. This relieved Alana greatly. "You ever seen the results of a neglected mouth?" Seymour shook his head vigorously, and Orin stood up, flipping on a light switch to show a picture of dog's rotting mouth.

"Look, Seymour. This could happen to you." Alana wondered how Seymour could believe that the photograph was really a human's mouth, but then she remembered that he had seen a plant talk, so anything was possible to him at this rate.

Orin started back toward Seymour. "Unless I take immediate action." He lifted an odd instrument and brought it next to Seymour's chair. _What could that be? _Alana wondered.

"W-What's that?" Seymour stammered, echoing Alana's thoughts unknowingly.

"A drill," Orin replied savagely. Alana looked closely at it and shuddered. _It looks just like something Erik would have used on some unfortunate girl._

"It's rusty!" Seymour pointed out.

"It's an antique." Orin admired this piece of equipment. "They don't make 'em like this anymore. Sturdy. Heavy. Dull." With every word, he moved the tool closer to Seymour's mouth. The younger man squirmed, and Alana didn't blame him. If it's an antique, it belongs in a museum, not my son's mouth.

Suddenly, Orin stopped. "I'm gonna want some gas for this."

Seymour sighed in relief. "Oh, thank God. I thought you weren't gonna use any!" Orin pulled him farther up the chair, since Seymour had moved down when Orin was aiming the drill at him.

"Oh, the gas i'n't for you, Seymour, It's for me." Alana began to feel slightly uncomfortable as Orin started stroking Seymour's light brown hair. "Y'see, I wanna really enjoy this." The sadist pulled away as he had an idea. "In fact, I'm gonna use my special gas mask." Orin crossed the room, and Alana gasped as Seymour pulled the gun out of his pocket.

"I find a little giggle gas before I begin increases my pleasure enormously," Orin explained.

Alana could understand wanting to kill Orin, but she found herself whispering, "Don't do it, sweetie. It's not gonna make Audrey like you any more than she already does." To her relief, he stuffed the weapon back into its hiding spot before Orin even finished speaking.

The dentist turned around, a mask now covering his face. A pair of gas tanks sat upon his back. "Here we go," he announced, in a tone that sparked fear in Alana's heart. He twisted a knob on one of the tanks, and the two packets on the side of the mask began to inflate and deflate with Orin's breathing. The look of enjoyment on his face filled Alana with disgust. He began to laugh deliriously. "Run, Seymour!" Alana urged, but of course he couldn't hear her.

"Oh Seymour, I'm flyin," Orin told Seymour, who looked as appalled and fearful as Alana felt. "The things I'm 'onna do to that mouth." His laughter continued as he brought up the height of the dentist chair and started up the drill again, but all of a sudden he got distracted, flicking on the light box that held the photo of the drooling dog mouth. He pointed at it, hooting. Alana's breath caught as Seymour stood, pointing his gun at the loopy lunatic. He looked absolutely terrified, and Alana badly wanted to talk him out of the situation.

To Alana's shock, Orin didn't seem to mind this. "What the hell's that?" He answered his own question. "A gun?" His laughter became even more hysterical. "Kid's gotta goddamn revolver!" he howled. "Ah Jesus! I'm in trouble now, huh?"

Seymour seemed startled at this reaction, like Alana was. This man was truly crazy.

Seymour kept his gun pointed, but thankfully didn't shoot.

"Wait 'till I turn this gas off." Orin's words caught Alana by surprise. Oh no. Is Orin going to report Seymour to the police? But he hasn't attempted to shoot, right? Please, Seymour, be smart. But when Orin tried to use a pump to deactivate the gas, it simply popped right off.

"Uh-oh," Orin muttered. He started toward Seymour. "Oh, gimme a hand, would ya?" He paused, then responded to himself again. "No, I guess you wouldn't, would ya?" His hyena-like laughter returned, turning to couching as he fell to his knees, unable to remain standing.

"Y' see, Seymour, I could asphyx-" Orin chuckled, then coughed again. "I could asphyx-" The crazed man plopped himself against the wall. Seymour still had the revolver pointed at Orin, but Alana was almost certain now that Seymour wasn't going to use it. She was ever more reassured when he lowered the weapon.

Orin began to take deep breaths, intending to take in as much air as he could. "What'd I ever do to you?" he asked Seymour.

"Nothin," Seymour replied. "It's what ya did to her."

"Her who?" Orin's question caused anger to spark momentarily in Alana- _How could he forget Audrey?_-, before subsiding into apprehension. The dentist suddenly recalled the woman Seymour was referring to, and he breathed out, "Oh, her." With these last words, Orin froze. Seymour's jaw dropped.

_He's dead._

Alana had been keeping an eye on her son all night. Seymour had successfully chopped Orin's body into many parts and tossed them into the delighted Audrey II's gaping jaws. To her dismay, Seymour didn't sleep for the entire night. Alana couldn't see what her son was thinking, but she assumed he was terrified, both of the plant and of himself. He sat beside his bed in a chair, bouncing his leg, probably replaying the events of Orin's death.

Alana knew that Seymour wasn't guilty of the death. Yes, he watched Orin suffocate, but the young man did nothing to harm Orin directly, let alone in his final moments. Still, Alana was sure Seymour was scarred from the events.

At once, Seymour scrambled to the window, still dressed in his striped pajamas. Alana struggled to see what he saw, but, judging by how quickly he dressed himself and hastily pulled himself up the stairs, she guessed it had something to do with Audrey.

Alana's suspicion was correct; Seymour found the blonde anxiously conversing with a small group of policemen, who loaded themselves into their car.

"Audrey, what'd they say to ya?" Seymour asked.

Audrey pretended she didn't know what he was talking about. "Uh, who?"

"The police."

"Oh! Uh, nothin'." She took a few wandering steps, trying to look untroubled, but Alana knew she was upset. Seymour seemed to sense this as well, and tried again, following behind her.

"Audrey, talk to me, tell me what they said," Seymour urged her, sounding concerned. Alana could already guess what the issue was, but she listened anyway.

"It's Orin, they say he disappeared," Audrey confessed.

Seymour's eyes widened, then he quickly masked his fear. "The-The police, they told ya that?"

"They suspect foul play."_Why is she so concerned?_ Alana wondered. _He was awful to her!_ Alana pondered for a moment. _She can't have really loved him, right? He didn't deserve her, and even I can tell she's interested in someone else._

Seymour gulped. "They do?"

"His receptionist- This morning she found the place in shambles. Gas mess everywhere. Things… all over the floor! They think… I can't even think about what they think!" Audrey scurried into the alleyway behind her.

Seymour hesitated for a moment, then rushed after her, racing down the stairs. "Audrey? Audrey?" He found Audrey in tears, leaning on a wall. "Don't cry, Audrey. W-Would it be so terrible if something did happen to him?"  
Audrey looked astonished. "Seymour, what a thing to say?"

Seymour glanced down in shame, then repeated his question. "Well, would it?"

Audrey considered for a moment, then admitted, "It wouldn't be terrible at all. It'd be a miracle."  
_Looks like my son is a miracle worker,_ Alana thought with a smirk.

AUdrey continued after an instant. "Not to mention all the money I'd save on Epsom Salts and Ace bandages."

"Y'see?" Seymour's expression was earnest.

"But I'd still feel guilty I mean… if he had been met with… foul play, or some… terrible accident of some kind..." Audrey murmured, her voice shaking as she sat down, "It'd be partly y fault, just because… secretly, I wished it."

Seymour's mouth was agape, and Alana raised her eyebrows. _Someone as sweet as her, wishing harm upon somebody? I guess it makes sense, seeing how poorly he treated her. Thank God. I thought she might have loved him._

"Audrey, don't you waste another… minute thinkin' about that creep! There's a lotta of guys who'd… give anything to g out with you." He seated himself beside her. "Nice guys." Alana couldn't help but snort. _How subtle._

Alana was slightly disappointed when Audrey rose to her feet. "I don't deserve a nice guy, Seymour." _That's a lie._

"That's not true!" Seymour protested, once again repeating what Alana was thinking.

"You don't know the half of it! I've led a terrible life! I deserved a creep like Orin Scrivello, D.D.S.!"

She sat again, this time on a low wall of concrete. "You know where I met him?" Seymour shook his head. Alana was somewhat dreading the answer, if Audrey was going to say what Alana thought she might. "In The Gutta'."

Alana gasped. It was just as she suspected. But Seymour didn't know what she was talking about. "The Gutter?" he echoed.

"The Gutta'," Audrey confirmed. "It's a night spot. I worked there on my nights off, when we weren't makin' much money. I'd put on… cheap and tasteless outfits- not nice ones like this. Low and nasty apparel, I-!" Audrey looked as if she was about to cry.

Seymour cut her off. "Audrey, that's all behind you now! You've got nothin' to be ashamed of! You're a very nice person, I always knew you were. Underneath the bruises an' the handcuff, you know what I saw? A girl I respected. I still do!"

Alana watched in amazement as Seymour began to pour his heart out. He promised the young woman comfort and support, as well as friendship. The look in his eyes was warm and hopeful, and it melted Alana's heart.

But what shocked Alana even more was that, when Seymour paused, Audrey confessed her own feelings. She told him about her past, how her father had left and her mother had very little money. All the men she met treated her like garbage. _If they were anything like Erik, Audrey's a brave girl. Braver than I was._ She then acknowledged Seymour's vows, expressing her relief at his earnest assurance.

Suddenly, Seymour began again, expressing his hope that he would always feel as happy as he was at that moment. Audrey warned him that she was still cautious, after everything she had suffered through as she climbed a staircase. Alana was grinning ear to ear just at watching the pair, declaring that they would stay by one another's side, but even she couldn't predict what was going to happen next.

_Suddenly, Seymour_

_(Suddenly, Seymour)_

_He purified me_

_(He purified you)_

_Suddenly, Seymour_

_(Suddenly, Seymour)_

_Showed me I can_

_(Yes you can…)_

Seymour launched himself up the stairs until he and Audrey were standing face to face.

_Learn how to be more_

_The girls that's inside me_

_With sweet understanding…_

_Sweet understanding…_

_With sweet understanding…_

_Sweet understanding…_

_With sweet understanding…_

_Seymour's…_

_My…_

_Man…_

The next couple of weeks were quite different from the preceding ones. For one thing, Mushnik had died. He accused Seymour of killing Orin, and held him at gunpoint as he led him out of the shop. However, right before leaving the shop, the old man had decided against it, making a deal with Seymour. He proposed that he would help Seymour escape Skid Row if he could take care of Audrey II. However, he made the mistake of leaning into its open maw, and the plant swallowed him.

Meanwhile, Alana became concerned for her son. She had never cared for Mushnik, but he had been the only parent Seymour had, and the young man was grieving. In addition to this, along with his added guilt of watching another person fall victim to Audrey II's schemes, Seymour became overwhelmed with interviews and photoshoots he had to participate in.

_It's all because of that damned plant,_ Alana thought. _Poor Seymour, he must be having such a hard time._

His stress and fear was visible when he was surprised by a film crew in the shop. Audrey II had slumped over, which, for the plant, was a sure sign that it was hungry. The man trying to interview Seymour had gotten too close, and Seymour exploded. He started yelling, telling the reporters to leave him alone. After realizing he was overreacting, he rocketed across the street, back to the same alley he had been in just a few weeks ago.

"What am I gonna do?" he asked himself. "What am I gonna do? I never shoulda' started, but I did, and now if I don't feed it it'll die! And I'll lose her, I'll lose everything." His words shot through Alana's heart like bullets. _She loves you so much, darling. You have so little self confidence._

"Seymour?" came Audrey's voice. The young man turned to face her. "Who're ya talkin' to?"  
"Uh, nobody," Seymour reassured her.

Alana smiled to herself. _The one good thing that's come out ot this is the fact that these two goofs know how much the other loves them._

"You're actin' funny. Lucky I signed those papers… those men said, _Seymour Krelborn's Gardening Tips_ is sure to be a very big TV show."  
"I know, I'm sorry."  
"Well, you shouldn't be! They're comin' back tomorrow, and they're bringing a great big check."

Seymour sounded exhausted as he wandered to the other end of the alley. "They are?"

"I wish you were enjoying your success." Audrey's eyes widened with concerned.

A light bulb seemed to go off in Seymour's head.

"You said they're comin' back with money?"

"Tomorrow."

Seymour paused for a moment. "Then we could afford to get outta here, couldn't we?"

Audrey's expression was curious. "Wh-Whaddaya mean?"

"That's it. After tomorrow, we could leave here, together!"

"Togetha'?"

Seymour looked down, "If you'll have me. Audrey, will ya have me?"

"Whaddaya mean?"

"Marry me, Audrey."

Alana was as shocked as she was amazed at Seymour's courage. _I can't believe it. He really did it. He really asked her._ She was pretty sure she knew how Audrey was going to respond, but she kept paying attention.

"Oh Seymour, this is so sudden."

"Well, will ya?" Hope flooded Seymour's gaze.

"...Suah."

An amazed grin spread across Seymour's face. "Then that's it! We'll go get married right now!"  
"Oh Seymour!" Audrey exclaimed joyfully, embracing him.

He paced toward the exit of the alleyway. "And then tomorrow we'll come back, I'll be on television, get the money, and then we'll live happy ever after." He turned toward Audrey with a wide, enthusiastic smile."Oh, Audrey, I'll give you a wonderful life, with no plants, I promise! No plants at all!"

"You're talkin' peculiar again, Seymour."  
"We'll start tonight. We'll go to city hall, get married, the spend the night somewhere that's safe, some nice hotel."  
Audrey glanced downward. "Oh, Seymour."

"Oh, Audrey…"  
"I gotta go get ready!" She blew him a kiss and bounded toward her apartment.

"Hurry! Hurry." His face was mystified, as if he could hardly believe what just happened.

Alana was over the moon. Her son had done so much better than her. Seymour had found somebody he truly loved, and he absolutely deserved her love in return.

_He's going to be happy. He'll have a good life, with a good woman. They'll be happy. That's all I ever wanted for them, especially for Seymour. Finally, he'll have someone who cares about him as much as I do._

"No," Alana whispered to herself. "This can't be happening. Not now. Please, not now."

Audrey II had a plan, and the plan was working. It had phoned Audrey, now adorned in a stunning wedding dress, asking her to come to the shop. Once she realized that Audrey II was the voice on the other end, she rushed over to the shop. The demonic plant convinced her to give it some water, but had its vines wrapped around her in just a matter of moments. Seymour wasn't in the shop to try and stop it; the young man had gone out to get some meat to tide the plant over until he left for good. But the monster wanted human blood, and it was intent on having Audrey for its next meal as it dragged her toward it's terrile maw.

Alana let out a huge gasp of relief as Seymour pulled the door open. When he realized what was happening, he sprang into action, dropping the bag of meat he held and dashed toward the despicable beast.  
"Get offa' her! Get off!" he commanded the plant, but Alana knew it wouldn't obey. Seymour tried to force its mouth open. When that didn't work, he tugged at Audrey's legs desperately. The plant lowered its head-like pod, giving Seymour another chance to pry its jaws apart. This time, he succeeded, and Audrey held onto Seymour as he scampered to safety in the nearby alley.

He saved her… but will she live? The plant had killed someone before with just its fangs and its bite. It can't kill her. She's too important to him.

"You okay?" Seymour prompted Audrey, whose dress was now torn and whose hair was now disheveled.

"Yes…" she breathed, but before Alana could feel reassured, she fell to the ground. "No…"

"Audrey! Audrey!" Seymour knelt down next to her. He helped her to her feet and guided her to a place to sit. "I'm sorry, Audrey, I'm just so sorry. I never meant to hurt you, I never meant to hurt anybody!" A look of shame crossed his face. "But somehow it makes things happen, terrible things!" He crossed over to sit beside her. I know I shoulda' stopped when I found out what it lived on but… it was so cute an' harmless. An' we started doin' business, makin' money, and you like me an'-"

"Seymour!" Audrey interrupted. "You really think I liked you 'cause'a that?" Seymour's face was apologetic.

"I liked you since the day I came to work here," Audrey confessed, gazing into his eyes.

Seymour seemed the slightest bit more optimistic.

"Y'mean, you'd still like me, even if I wasn't famous?"

Audrey smiled affectionately, gently taking his face in her hands. "I'd still love you, Seymour."  
"Really?" His voice was barely a whisper.

"All I ever wanted was you." She moved her hands to rest on his chest for a moment, then drew them away from him altogether. "And a sweet little house."

"Oh Audrey, you're the most wonderful person that ever lived!" Seymour, reassured, got back onto his feet. "We're gonna get that little house, and everything'll be alright somehow, you'll see!"

Alana watched as the couple celebrated their dreams, so close to becoming true. She loves him so much. I can't say I blame her. Seymour's grown to be such a wonderful man.

All at once, the moment was ruined by a man wearing a fedora. Alana felt a twinge of resentment toward him. Thank you so much, sir, for stopping this rather lovely moment. But the pair turned their attention to him.

The man's name was Patrick Martin, and he had the suspiciously extroverted mannerisms of many salesmen. However, his intentions were much worse than what Alana thought: Martin wanted to clone the plant and sell the results. "He's only thinking of the money!" she hissed, to nobody in particular. Alana was well aware that Seymour, and now Audrey, were the only people to know the plant's diet, but it still made her angry.

Luckily, Seymour, who was as upset as his mother, even though this was beyond his knowledge. He rejected the offer almost immediately, scaring the businessman off. But he wasn't safe. Not yet.

"Audrey, are you thinkin' what I' thinkin'?"  
"I think so."

"It'll keep eatin'!" he exclaimed. "Eating and eating until there's nothin' left!"

"We gotta stop it, Seymour, we got to!"

"No." Seymour looked as if he realized something. "I've got to. End this once and for all."

"Seymour!"

"Bust that pod wide open!" Seymour made his way to the pair of doors that led to the shop.

"Wait!" Audrey raced to catch up with him, resting her hands on his chest. "I'm coming with you."

"No," Seymour insisted. "It's me who got us into this. I'm the one to get us out. Alana saw regret in his eyes, but she also understood his reasoning. It's smart of him, and incredibly brave. And he's keeping Audrey out of danger. That's important to him.

"Wait for me, Audrey," he pleaded. "This is between me and the vegetable." WIth this, he turned toward the shop and whipped the door open.

"Every household in America!" he growled, facing Audrey II. "Thousands of ya, eating! That's what you had in mind all along, isn't it?"

"No shit, Sherlock," the plant replied smugly.

"We're not talkin' about one hungry plant here. We're talkin' about… world conquest!"  
"And I wanna thank you!"  
"You're not gonna get away with this. Your kind never does!"

Alana hoped he was right. He was right to stand up. Nobody else could do it.

Sadly, her optimism didn't last, as the plant destroyed the flower pot it resided in, revealing a multitude of tiny plant offspring.

Oh no… Martin didn't even need to come. The plant already made copies of itself!

Alana's hope dwindled as the fight went on. No matter what Seymour tried, the plant countered him easily. He fought as much as he could, but the plant laughed it all off.

The two had been fighting for some time when, all of a sudden, Mushnik's florist began to crumble.

"Run, Seymour!" Alana cried, wishing now more than ever that her son could hear her. But it was no use. Faster than Alana could even imagine, the building fell in on itself.

Maybe it was enough to stop the plant, Alana reasoned with herself. An entire building is quite a lot.

To her disappointment, the villainous beast rose from the remains of the florist, laughing maniacally. The younger plants joined in.

It still hasn't died? Alana was confused. A building just fell on it. That's enough to kill a person!

This thought reminded her that Seymour was somewhere under the ruined building. Oh no! Is he dead? Alana felt the urge to cry, but, as a spirit, she was unable. My son. My dearest love. You had such a life waiting for you Alana thought of Audrey, who had waited just as Seymour had asked. She loves him as much as I do, and now he can't be with her…

In her grief, Alana almost ignored the hand pushing itself out of the stone, a frizzy wire in hand. He's alive?

The hand was positioned just near one of the fiend's branches. It plunged the sparking wire onto the fine. The plant began to spark; when it realized what was happening, both the original and the offspring of the abomination began to scream. Their voices got higher-pitched until, finally, all of them exploded into a blue cloud.

Alana was in disbelief. He did it. He stopped it from killing the entire human race. He's a hero!

But is he alive? Alana scanned the stone pile created by the collapse, but she couldn't see Seymour.

He can't be gone. He can't be.

Most of her was praying, but a small part of her realized that, if he had indeed died, Seymour would have been with her by now. Alana glanced behind her, into the dwelling she had come to get used to in the past twenty-four years. No Seymour.

Alana turned her attention back to the shop's resting place. Audrey stared out at the ruins, no doubt wondering whether her love was still alive. She looked frightened, as if she wasn't sure Seymour had survived.

All of a sudden, Alana spotted a figure emerge from the rubble. It grew closer to Audrey, and Alana moved to get a better look. Standing there was a young man, dressed in a torn tuxedo and wearing an enormous pair of brown glasses.

You're alive! My sweet baby is alive!

A look of amazement spread over Audrey's face, which was quickly replaced with joy. The two stared at one another for a moment, as if determining whether this was real. After what seemed like forever to Alana, the couple embraced.

I'm so proud of you, Seymour. You've grown so much from the little boy who would talk to dandelions. You've met a person who makes you feel like nobody else does, and you're going to do such great things in life. I wish I could have met you, my wonderful little boy. But seeing you, alive and ready to start a new life, is more than enough for me.


End file.
